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Bomb explodes near Acropolis in central Athens

Published on NewsOK
Modified: March 27, 2013 at 3:42 pm •
Published: March 27, 2013

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ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A bomb exploded outside a Greek ship owner's house near a crowded pedestrian area under the Acropolis in central Athens on Wednesday night, causing minor damage but no injuries, police said.

Police set up a cordon after a bomb exploded at the home of a Greek shipowner, opposite the Acropolis in central Athens on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. No one was hurt in the evening blast that followed a warning telephone call to an Athens newspaper. Small bomb attacks by far-left and anarchist groups are common in Greece. (AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis)

The explosion a few hundred meters from the country's most famous monument occurred at about 8:30 p.m. (1830 GMT), after a warning call to a Greek newspaper.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which follows a string of bomb attacks in the financially-struggling country by anarchist groups that have caused no major injuries or loss of life.

Police spokesman Panagiotis Papapetropoulos said officers were able before the blast to evacuate one or two people from the building and to seal off the area.

"Judging by the minor extent of the damage, it can't have been a very strong explosive device," he said.

The house belongs to a member of the Tsakos ship owning family, police said.

The blast, which was heard across the city center, occurred very close to one of the Greek capital's favorite pedestrian walks that skirts the key tourist site of the Acropolis. At the time of the explosion, the walkway was busy with strolling families and tourists.